Arad ward evans



(No Model.)

A. W. EVANS.

CLASP.

No. 588,560. Patented Aug. 24,1897.

NITE i1 warns ARAD \VARI) EVANS, OF I/VASHINGTON, DISTRICT CF COLUMBIA.

CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,560, dated. August 24, 1897.

Application filed April 27,1897. Serial No. 634,140. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, ARAD WARD EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Was hington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps for Pressing and Hanging Trousers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to clasps for pressing and hanging trousers; and the objects sought to be accomplished are'to provide a clasp for pressing and suspending the trousers in a condition to give them the desired set or shape, said clasp to be formed of a single piece of wire and of simple construction, cheap to manufacture, and efficient in use. These objects are attained by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which-- Figure l is a side View of my clasp and.

hanger. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same at right angles to the view in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same, showing the jaws open. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the jaws of the clasp when closed.

In the manufacture of my clasp a single piece or length of sprin g-wire of the required. size is bent centrally into a coil A of a size to give the desired spring action to the jaws. The legs a extend from the coil A in substantially parallel planes, conforming to the size of the coil and of a length to serve as a convenient handhold for grasping the clasp to open its jaws. At the desired point these legs a are bent inward, as at a, to cross each other at. a Continuing from this point the wire is bent at a and extended to form the converging members or, which terminate in the jaw members of the clasp. To form these jaws, the members a are bent at the points a outwardly in opposite directions to form the lateral extensions a as shown in Figs. 2

and 3, which are bent or doubled upon themselves at a and extended in opposite directions to the desired distance beyond the plane of the body of the clasp and at right angles thereto to form jaws B of the required length for the purpose designed, and the terminal ends of the wires are curled or bent into loops 1) to finish the jaws and to prevent injury to the trousers or material during the clasping operation. The jaws may be slightly bent or curved away from each other in the center, as at b, to allow room for the leg-seams in the trousers when clamped; but this is not an indispensable feature of my invention. I may also connect a ring 0 to the coil A in order that the clasp and trousers may be suspended upon a hook or nail projecting from a wall, to lie flat against the same.

It will be understood that in order to press and form the trousers they are folded or creased with the seams togetherand inserted within the jaws of the clasp, the jaws being opened by pressure upon the legs a. It will be noticed thatthe only point of contact of the jaws upon the material is on a line with the opposing members B and that these members are resilient transversely across their entire length, since they have the inherent spring action of the wire from the bendsa to their free ends b This is an important feature in a clasp of this character, as it permits the opposingfaces of the jaws to assume the desired relation to conform to any inequalities or irregularities in the materials or articles to be clamped. In other words, the diagonally-disposed free ends I) of the jaws have independent resiliency, so that whether the material to be clamped is of equal or of irregular thickness, or even of greater thickness at one edge than the other, the jaws will always retain their correct relation and preserve the line of contact from end to end.

A clasp provided with jaws of this char-' 1. A clasp oolnprisingabody portion lying or bent outward from each other centrally, 10 in one plane and jaws at right angles thereto, and said jaws being independently resilient. the body portion provided with means for In testimony whereof leffix my signature holding the jaws normally closed, and said in presence of two Witnesses.

5 jaws being independently resilient.

2. Aclnsp made of asinglelength of spring- ARAD TARD EVANS Wire, and consisting of a resilient body porlVitnesses: tion lying in one plane, and the jaws disposed GEORGE NV. BAGG, at right angles thereto, said jaws being curved S. GORGES. 

